Mozilla wins Guinness record for downloads

The Mozilla Foundation has set its world record, recording the highest number of downloads of a piece of software in 24 hours.

The Foundation set out to win the accolade with the launch of version 3 of Firefox, the latest incarnation of its browser. Since its release Firefox has been steadily growing in popularity, and this record is the result of the hard work of its supporters, the foundation said in a statement.

“The enthusiasm and creativity of Firefox fans was instrumental in achieving this record,” said Paul Kim, vice president of marketing at Mozilla. “Our community members came together and not only spread the word, but also took the initiative to help mobilise millions of people to demonstrate their belief that Firefox gives people the best possible online experience.”

The record-setting 8,002,530 downloads was accepted by Guinness this week. Gareth Deaves, records manager for Guinness World Records, said, "Guinness World Records is pleased to add Mozilla’s achievement to our archives. Mobilising over 8 million internet users within 24 hours is an extremely impressive accomplishment and we would like to congratulate the Mozilla community for their hard work and dedication.”